You also need to consider how you want your house to look. It is now possible to clad your home with almost any material you can think of. Here are 5 modern exterior cladding ideas that will inspire you:

Vertical Boarding

The traditional approach to cladding is to have boards of wood or vinyl run horizontally across your house. There is a practical reason for this as the rain will run from one piece of cladding to the next without ingressing into your walls.

However, it is now possible to clad vertically instead. Behind the wood is a water resistant barrier offering the same wall protection.

This approach will emphasize the height of your home instead of making it appear elongated. Your eye will be drawn upwards and you’ll appreciate the charm of a home that may appear more grandiose than it actually is.

Two Tone

Another great approach is to adopt two colors for your cladding. This works best when you stick to the traditional horizontal approach. While some older houses already have a darker area at the bottom of the walls the modern approach is to place this at the top.

It’s a good idea to use the same material; such as wood. This will make the maintenance side of things easier. However, the top part can be painted or stained dark while the rest of the house retains its natural wood color.

The effect is striking and extremely modern; making your home look like it’s just been built even if you covered the walls of an old building.

Angled Cladding

You can also choose to angle the cladding on your walls. After all there is no reason why your home needs to be a square box! Angled cladding allows you to create virtually any shape you like without actually remodeling the house.

This is a great way of making sure your house stands out from the others in the street. In fact this is also one of the best ways to get a house that looks like the one of your dreams; even if it’s a 2 up and 2 down inside!

To really make the most of the angles it’s a great idea to switch direction with your cladding boards. This will add focus points and interest in your custom design.

Metal Work

It is possible to adopt a different approach to your cladding and use a more modern material. Metal has been a cladding option for years in commercial buildings but has only recently been used for residential properties.

The reason was simple; it looked too commercial. Fortunately now new styles of metal have been created along with virtually any color you can imagine. The result is an ability to completely transform your home into a multicolor complex or a shiny black or even silver building that will definitely stand out amongst the other homes; for the right reasons.

Textured

More traditional methods of cladding are rising in popularity again. These include concrete rendering or even using environmentally friendly, recycled materials.

The result is the opportunity to texture all or part of your home. This can make a great feature and is especially useful if your walls are not perfectly straight beforehand.

Different textured areas can be completed in contrasting colors to really create a striking look that will make you smile every time you get home.

A Word Of Warning

Before you rush to order the cladding that will transform your home you do need to verify the local building regulations. This will ensure your cladding complies with them. It’s also a good idea to consider the impact of your design on your neighbors. You may even need to speak to them first; after all you still need to live with them!